Antimicrobial Activity of Secondary Metabolites of Marine Bacteria

Abstract

In recent decades, a dangerous tendency has formed for the emergence and spread of strains of pathogenic bacteria resistant to modern antibiotics. This poses a threat not only to public health, but also to humanity as a whole. Marine bioresources are attracting increasing attention of researchers as a real alternative to traditional antibiotics and a valuable source of biologically active compounds with high pharmacological potential. Secondary metabolites, which are important metabolic products of marine microorganisms and possessing a broad spectrum of antibiotic activity, have attracted increasing attention in the last 10-15 years. These natural peptide substances play an important role in the physiology of bacteria, participating in inter- and intraspecific communication, reproduction, and competition for nutrients and space. It has been established that marine bacteria, like many human pathogens and commensals, use the complex mechanisms of non-ribosomal biosynthesis for the production of secondary metabolites, which ensures the extraordinary structural diversity of these natural protein substances, as well as a wide range of their pharmacological activity. Under the conditions of increasing global antibiotic resistance of infectious agents, secondary metabolites of marine bacteria are a valuable source for finding new antibiotic agents. The purpose of this review was to summarize current scientific data on the structure and pharmacological activity of secondary metabolites of marine bacteria, as well as on the non-ribosomal mechanisms of their biosynthesis, which are the new targets of antibacterial strategy.